Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

We all have to conform to society in some way.  It's kinda like that saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."  Conforming to some of the superficial aspects of your surroundings is not only ok, it is in some ways, necessary.  But do not be confused, conforming yourself should only occur on a superficial level. 

I love how the scripture says to be "transformed" because that is what God does for us!  He transforms us into people who are "good and acceptable and perfect."  God really gives us the tools to be transformed and by reflecting on His words, learning about the faith He gave to us, and participating in the miracle of the mass, we open ourselves up to His will.  Each day is an opportunity to grow into the perfect being that He calls us to be.

It seems that in the scripture there is a constant theme of not becoming what everyone else thinks we should be but continuing to grow into what God implores us to be.  It is easier to look around at others and see how they need to change and grow and pass judgment on them but much harder to look within ourselves and identify what we need to change.  We can spend all our time worrying about those around us and why aren't they following His laws and commandments, but what a waste of time!  We cannot, nor does God want us, to change anyone but ourselves.  And in this scripture even He is saying that by changing ourselves we are showing that His will is perfect and good and acceptable!  Only by changing ourselves will we be able to have any influence on those around us.

We are not responsible for anyone getting to heaven other than ourselves, and when it is our turn for judgment, we will only be judged on our own actions or inactions.  So why be so consumed with what other people are choosing?  Why be so concerned with how other people are living their lives.  I have never understood why people want to judge the way I raise my kids when I don't judge how others raise theirs.  I have always said, even when giving advice, "This is what I do, this is what works for me..."  And maybe what works for me will work for someone else too, or maybe they will tweek it and make it something that works better for them.  I don't really care either way because I can't worry myself with how other people do things.  In actuality, it just doesn't affect me.  We can and should be open to spreading God's message but also understand that not everyone will be in a place of accepting it. 

I used to ask my dad if he was upset after watching his favorite sports teams lose and his answer was always the same, "No, it doesn't change my life on Monday."  It is so true and puts things into perspective for me.  Why worry about the things that are so superficial and really aren't life altering?  I will instead do my best to worry about the things that are able to transform me.  Listening and being open to His will is the best place to start.

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Busy Mommy Blogger

Jonah 2:8

Jonah 2:8
"Those who regard vain idols forsake their faithfulness."

We take nothing with us when we leave.  Material things seem fulfilling temporarily.  It's easy to get sucked in to what society wants us to value.  Do you have the newest car?  Do you have granite countertops and stainless steel?  How big is your TV?  I have seen people try to outdo each other and it's not pretty.  What if we tried to outdo each other spiritually?  What if we tried to help the most people, donate the most time or money to those in need, prayed the most for fellow sinners?  I can't help but wonder what this world would be like if we were trying to outdo each other in kindness, forgetting about our material things that in no way contribute to our status in life.  Things are not going to get us into heaven, our faith, actions, and love for others, will.

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Busy Mommy Blogger

Acts 20:24

Acts 20:24
But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

It is only be the grace of God that we make it through this life.  I feel very sorry for people who don't believe.  During mass when father asks that we pray for people who have fallen asleep in the faith while waiting for the coming of our Lord, I truly feel a sadness and sincere prayer for those people.  I know that our society doesn't value faith because it is based on belief, not science.  I feel that Catholicism, especially, takes a constant beating from the media.  I think that faith used to be viewed as an essential aspect of life and something of value to be instilled in our children.  Sunday mass was a ritual, an expected event to be attended my most families in any given neighborhood.  The values found in the faith were near and dear to the values we wanted to display in ourselves and instill in our children.

Now it is much more about the things we have, the places we go, the capital we bring home.  I am blessed though because I have a husband who is not an egotist.  He is good at what he does, I would say he is the best but I may be biased.  My husband knows how good he is at his job and what he does, just as I know that I am good at what I do and what my job is, but we are both quick to give the glory to God.  We understand that our success is really meaningless, that our success is His success being shown through us and our actions.  We realize that it is only by the grace of God that we are able to survive each day with our heads above water financially, emotionally and physically.  We know that without Him, there would be no "us", there would be no extension of life, and there would be no security.

As we face this difficult time, we have to draw on our previous experiences because I feel like we are being tested.  Did we learn anything from the past?  Is our faith really as strong as we claim it to be?  The answer is "yes".  The only reason I have been blessed enough to be able to stay at home for the past six years is because God blessed me with a husband who is willing to do whatever he needs to do to take care of and provide for us.  I also realize that the only reason he is able to do this is because of the gifts He has given my husband and the doors that He has opened for him.  He has taken care of us.  He has always made sure that we were ok and even though it is hard to understand how we will be ok now, or how things will be resolved, I have a renewed sense in my faith that they will be.

As a snotty, doubting teenager I used to challenge my CCD teacher to "prove it".  Whatever the "it" was.  And the truth is my teacher could have said whatever he wanted but I still would not have believed because lets face it, that's what the faith really is, believing.  The proof is in everyday life.  The proof is in the child growing in a mother's womb.  The proof is in the generosity of strangers.  The proof is in the love between a husband and wife.  The proof is in the air around us if we can get our heads out of all the materialism we surround ourselves with and get down to what is truly important in life.  Where we are right now is humbling and it only reinforces what I already believed.  We take nothing with us when we die other than the love we have given and received.

Thank you God for allowing your grace to work in our lives.  Help us to always be open to accepting Your grace, even if it doesn't make sense to us at the time.  You never do anything that doesn't make sense, even if it doesn't make sense to us.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Romans 8:1, 2

Romans 8:1, 2
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

I find it funny that people are so interested in judging others and making sure that others are rightfully punished.  I also used to care how others judged me.  Now I have a sense of peace because I feel that I know who I am.  I know the kind of person I am.  I know where my heart is.  I know what my intentions are.  I try to communicate those things as best I can to the people around me but I won't always come across the way I desire to.  And, no matter how hard I try, there will always be people who choose to judge me harshly for whatever reason.

I think that our society makes it easy to judge others, or better yet, popular.  It is a common pastime to pass judgment on those around us, those in society, those in the entertainment industry, those in politics, those in positions of power, those in poverty, etc.  Our society encourages us to be condemners of those around us.  We have reality shows on in abundance and where does most of the entertainment come from on those shows?  When the people on them are judging the other people on the show!  I have to admit I find it entertaining because the premises are so ridiculous it doesn't seem like reality, at least not any reality I would be interested in being a part of.  I prefer peace over drama in my own life.

I used to really stress over how others perceived me, especially my in laws who have never truly accepted me and have made constant comments and digs about my apparent shortcomings.  I used to try so hard to make them happy, only to find out I had failed.  Then I realized that I really can't live my life like that.  I can't spend my life trying to please anyone other than God.  He is the only judge that matters and His judgment is the only one I worry about.  I cannot live my life trying to live up to everyone else's expectations.  I live like I tell my children to live, "When you know the truth in your heart, don't worry what other people say."

Please God, help me to live today free of judgments and free of judging others.  Help me to live by your laws so that when my final judgment comes I will be ready to be reconciled. 

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Matthew 18:20

Matthew 18:20
For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.

It's comforting to know that when He is called, He is there.  My family is facing a difficult time right now and I need Him now more than ever.  I like to think that He is behind me, gently holding me up.  If He weren't it would be too hard to maneuver through these obstacles that face us.  I was talking to a friend the other day and she asked what my prayer life is like right now.  My response was that I am in a constant prayer, having a constant conversation with God.  All things are possible with Him and nothing is possible without Him.  It would be wonderful if life was always in the good times but I suppose if it were, the good times would become mundane and underappreciated.  Often it is experiencing the bad times that let us know how good things truly are.

Please God, hear us as we call for You.  Walk with us and help us through these dark and scary times.  Please guide my husband and my family so that we can be closer to You and closer to Your path for us.  Thank you for all the good times we have had thus far and help us navigate these bad times so we can appreciate the good times once more.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Ephesians 2:8, 9

Ephesians 2:8, 9
For by the grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

My husband and I are only a few days into our new journey that began on September 11th.  I know that I have eluded to difficulties without naming what it is specifically that we are dealing with.  My husband was fired by his boss via an email last Wednesday.  Even though he wasn't happy there, he worked very hard to be productive and successful.  It is only by the grace of God that he was able to put aside his frustrations and move forward each day.  My husband is not a boastful person.  He is good at what he does and therefore does not feel the need to shout it.  He also knows, as we have been shown, that his success is not his alone.  His success is from God, who has given him the gifts to be successful.

When my husband was fired, it was a shock in the sense that his last conversation about a week ago with his employer was about his future at the company, raises, bonuses, ongoing projects, etc.  Even though he had been unhappy at his job for quite some time now, he never let anyone other than myself and a few other very close family/friends know.  Him, being our only source of income, I cried.  I cried for the struggle he had and will have moving forward finding new employment to support a family of six.  I cried that as a married couple, we cannot be open to expanding our family until we are in a more stable place.  I cried out of fear.  I cried out of anger.  I cried out of sadness.

I am so thankful for the Mass.  I took my youngest kids to mass and God spoke to me.  I prayed the rosary and spoke to Mary.  I had a friend from church come over and was moved to tears when she told me what she did when her husband lost his job after their sixth baby was born because the prayer that she said to our Mother Mary was the same prayer I said to her.  Each day seems to get a little better.  I am doing my best not to be overcome with my fear and to understand that He works in many ways.  He never makes a mistake and I know that this is His plan for us.

I know that we will be better for having had this experience.  We will learn and grow and there will come a day when we look back and are thankful for this experience, just as we look back at our first year of marriage and all the struggles we faced then.  I know that out of the ashes comes life, out of the pain comes relief, out of the darkness comes light.  But fear can be gripping and overwhelming and for a person who likes to plan, it can be debilitating.  Please God, help me to overcome the fear that threatens me.  Help me to be strong and faithful.  Help us make it through this difficult time, I know You will never give us more than we can handle and I know there is a purpose to everything You do.  Thank You for the gifts You have given us, please continue to bless us and protect us.  Help my husband on his journey and please continue to keep us safe.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Hebrews 10:35, 36

Hebrews 10:35, 36
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

Yesterday was a really hard day.  We are dealing with some very scary issues and I know how much I need my faith in order to get through these difficult times.  I LOVE that God sent me this scripture today.  How does He do that?  How does He always know what we need to hear.

I went to church this morning with my two littlest ones.  I was worried because I wasn't sure how my 2 year old and 9 month old would behave.  They were so good.  So good that I could actually hear the Gospel and it was so fitting to what I am going through.  It was really what I needed to hear and I'm so thankful that God finds a way to speak to us if we listen. 

My husband is much more confident than I am but I am trying to have confidence in my faith and my husband to see us through.  This scripture just affirms for me that if we keep Him at the forefront and have confidence in Him and the endurance to make it through the hard times, that He will reward us.  We are not just praying our way through, we are actively trying to improve our situation, but we also understand that with our effort and His guidance, we will eventually be rewarded.

I went through a really difficult time having miscarriages.  Again I find myself going through a difficult time, being asked to trust in His plan.  This time though, I am not alone.  This time I have my faith, friends and family.  When I was losing those beautiful babies, I didn't tell anyone.  I went through the hurt by myself, turned away from my faith, and wallowed in self pity.  Now, my husband and I have shared with those around us what we are going through.  We see the love of those around us and are truly touched.  We see the generosity and the willingness to help and are moved.  We see His work in our life and we feel grounded.  Please pray for us.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Philippians 4:9

Philippians 4:9
The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

I need Him now more than ever, more than when I was losing all those precious babies in utero.  More than when I was dealing with confusion and self loathing in high school.  More than when I wanted to just give up in college.  I always wonder what He is preparing me for.  Was He preparing me for this?  Was He using His words to make me stronger, to make me an unwavering believer?  I think we always assume He's preparing us for the rewards but now it occurs to me that He is also preparing us for the hardships.

When we are in the midst of those hardships, why is it that the first question we ask is "why"?  Does it matter?  Really, the "why" is so besides the point, isn't it?  The "why" can't be changed and doesn't really help us deal with whatever difficulties we are facing anyway.  I mean, sure, it would be nice to know.  Nice to know that we are having hard times because were are being prepared for something better in the future.  It would be nice to know that everything is going to turn out just fine.  Nice to know that someday we will look back and say, "Remember when....Man that was a difficult time but look at all the good that came out of it.  Look how much better we are now because of that experience."

I thought after losing three babies and almost divorcing my husband, that my faith had been strengthened because I had come out the other end better off, stronger, more involved and in love with my faith.  I thought, "Wow, I'm so glad that happened because I see the goodness of the Lord and now I can look back at tough times and truly know that everything happens for a reason."  I thought that I could face difficult times again and be unwavering in my faith and trust that He will provide.  I have seen His glorious work first hand.  He showed me His goodness, why am I unable to trust blindly, let go of myself and allow Him to carry me to the other side?

It's not just that I know I should, I really want to let go, trust, and believe in His path.  I'm just so scared.  Scared of the unknown I guess.  Back when I encountered problems before, it was just me, I was only responsible for me.  Now those problems don't just affect me, they affect my four beautiful, precious, innocent, carefree children.  I want to keep them that way and shielded from all the grown up problems that my husband and I are dealing with right now.  It is so hard, I feel consumed by the problems.  I want to crawl into bed and go to sleep until my husband comes in, tells me everything has worked out, and then resume my normal life.

This scripture really speaks to me because I feel like the last 8 years He's been preparing me for this moment but somehow I don't know what to do or I'm too scared to do what I know I am supposed to do.  Please God, continue to walk with me and show me the way.  Help me see Your guiding light.  Thank you for the many gifts you have bestowed unto me, especially the gifts of my beautiful children.  Please help my husband and I navigate these dark and murky waters that we find ourselves in right now.  Please lessen my fear and help me protect my children from the worries that plague me.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Psalm 71:8

Psalm 71:8
My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long.

I don't have much to say about this scripture.  I think it really speaks for itself, but just contemplate this for a minute.  What if, whenever we opened our mouths, it was to speak of His glory, rather than to speak of another's flaws or shortcomings?  What if we spoke of how amazing our Heavenly Father is rather than degrading our neighbors, family or friends.  What if we used our words to spread His peace rather than using our words to spread hate, hurt, and war.  What if.....

Join me in filling your world with Him.  The more we speak of Him, the less room there is to speak of the Devil.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Psalms 68:19

Psalms 68:19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation.  Selah.

Today my mother in law will do the hardest thing a mother should never have to do, bury her son.  I know that she is immersed in a pain I cannot begin to comprehend.  My heart aches for her.  When I heard the news, I cried for her because I knew that the son she lost was the one she worried the most about.  He was the one who she wept for, he was the one she tried her hardest to influence.  And unfortunately, he was not able to change the choices he made to create a different life for himself.

I am always amazed at how life can change in an instant, with one word, one action, one decision.  As children, we don't understand, that's why we make so many mistakes.  And thankfully we are still in the care of our parents so that when we make those mistakes, we are surrounded by people who can help set us back on the right path.  Hopefully we learn from those mistakes and make better decisions for ourselves as adults. 

But what happens when we don't?  Who bears the burdens of our mistakes when we are adults?  Is it just us or is it our parents, or our children, coworkers, neighbors and friends?  Who is responsible for setting us on the right path when we are grown?  Is someone responsible for us or should we be taking responsibility for ourselves?  And how much can outsiders help us if we are unwilling to help ourselves?  Should people be expected to give us money so that we have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies if we are not willing to find and maintain a job?  If we are simply choosing not to partake in our own well being, should other's bear the burden of it?

I don't know the answers and each situation is different.  It's easy as an outsider to say, "I wouldn't do that." or "How can they keep supporting that person when they won't support themselves?"  But we can't understand or truly say what we would or wouldn't do until we are faced with the same dilemmas.  Every day comes with it's own unique burdens and for those of us who are parents, each child comes with his or her own burdens.  If we were to carry the burdens present in each day ourselves, we would buckle under the weight.  I can't imagine my mother in law making it through the tragedy of losing her son if she doesn't give Him the responsibility of carrying some of the burden for her. 

Thank You God for being the carrier of our burdens and for being our Light and our Salvation.  Without You, the burdens of life would truly be unbearable and death would only be an end to our lives rather than the birth of our eternal one.  Please pray for my mother in law.

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger

Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4:4
But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God'"

Pardon my absence from my daily scripture blog.  I have been beyond busy with the kids going back to school and there was a death in my husband's family that has kept us preoccupied.  I have not taken a break from my faith, it has been quite the opposite really, I am leaning on Him more than ever but the chaos has left me with less time for sharing my faith on the blogosphere!

This scripture speaks to me especially in this time.  I am able to get through each day not just by going through the motions of what needs to be done, but with His help.  The food I eat is nourishing my body but He is nourishing my soul.  There is no way I could make it through each day meeting all my basic physical needs if I am not meeting my spiritual needs as well.  My faith gives me the sustenance to make it through each day.  It's not the food, water, clothes, home, etc., that allows me to live.  It is Him.  He allows me to make it through each day in one piece. 

Sometimes at the end of the day, I ask Him, "How am I going to get up and do this all over again tomorrow?  I feel worn out."  There is really nothing I can do to recharge myself, He recharges me.  His words, His example, His will, recharges me.  We all have things we struggle with each day and we all have things that make us feel defeated but don't allow it!  He will sustain you, if you ask, if you listen.  But don't expect the material or earthly things around you to feed you or revive you.  Only He can do that.  Let's not lose our focus on what is truly keeping us alive in this life and after. 

Thanks for reading!

Busy Mommy Blogger